Malacañang denied that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has ties to arrested Peanut Gallery Media Network founder Franco Mabanta, instead pointing to Mabanta’s apparent links to personalities associated with the Duterte camp.
During a Palace press briefing in Cebu, Palace Press Officer Claire Castro dismissed claims that Mabanta had played a role in online political campaigns supporting Marcos.
“Hindi po siya kaibigan ng Pangulo… baka ito po ang itanong ninyo kung ano po ang relasyon niya sa mga Duterte. Nandiyan pa nga po si Harry Roque,” Castro said.
Castro declined to elaborate further on Mabanta’s alleged ties to the Duterte family but noted that his content frequently targeted the Marcos administration.
“Ay kayo po ang magtanong sa kaniya… marami naman po yata siyang na-feature sa kaniyang mga articles na halos ay kumakalaban sa administrasyon,” she said.
The Palace official also emphasized that anyone accused of wrongdoing must undergo due process.
“Kung mayroon po silang ginawang krimen dapat lamang po nila itong panagutan. Pero, definitely, kailangan po ng due process sa lahat ng bagay,” Castro said.
The remarks came after the National Bureau of Investigation arrested Mabanta and four others in connection with an alleged ₱300-million extortion scheme involving former House Speaker Martin Romualdez.
The NBI alleged that Mabanta demanded money in exchange for withholding the release of online materials supposedly linking Romualdez to corruption in the House of Representatives.
The suspects are facing allegations of robbery-extortion and violations of the Cybercrime Prevention Act.
In a statement following the arrests, PGMN denied the accusations and claimed the operation was a “setup,” saying it had been preparing a major exposé against Romualdez and other political figures.
